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Newitz looks at 4 ancient cities, Çatalhöyük, Pompeii, Angkor, and Cahokia, and examines the details of everyday life in these urban centres, instead of the major events that other historians tend to focus on.

I finished this book yesterday to wrap up the #FabulousFebruary readathon. Thank you for hosting @Andrew65!

I can‘t sleep thanks to this not-Covid-but-still-awful cold my dad brought me back from Europe, so I took advantage of my ereader‘s night-friendly backlighting and finished the Çatalhöyük segment of FOUR LOST CITIES. It‘s a great book so far; detailed enough to give you a good sense of these places and the scholarship surrounding them, but with a more popular than academic tone.

Next up: Pompeii.

Dovetails really well with the themes in Nomad Century. Cities are mutable and survive based on their infrastructure and political will. There's sort of a boom/bust cycle and deurbanism is an evolution that comes out of a need, or cities becoming too expensive. A key point is that cities are rarely actually lost, more that they evolve over time. Interesting insights and links, this has more food for thought than a "this will/must happen" bent.

Just started on this and already getting vibes overlapping with Nomad Century & An edible history of humanity. I'm hoping for some interesting take aways w.r.t. modern cities!

150/150 A Detailed and fascinating look at four "lost" cities, the Neolithic city of Catalhoyuk, the city of Pomeii (destroyed by the volcano Vesuvius), the megacity of Angkor in Cambodia and the native America city of Cahokia, why they declined and were ultimately abandoned by their citizens. If you're interested in archeology, anthropology or ancient history, I highly recommend it. 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2

This was interesting. The author discusses what archeologists have discovered about four ancient cities. I picked it up because she covers Cahokia, which I have been interested in for years, but I learned about all four cities.

#Booked2022 Involves an Exploration

An introductory look at four pre-modern age cities. Newitz makes a great point that cities and civilizations are never “lost”, but rather they morph into something different as human needs/desires change. The author also does a great job trying to emphasize the lives of the common folks in each city. This was interesting if cursory. But a great starting point for anyone curious about archeology/anthropology.

I've felt crummy and down after my exams, so I treated myself to another little stack of books that made me want to read them immediately. I actually wanted to read Four Lost Cities from the library, but since they cut me off...

Anyway, I'll probably start with this!

One of the most quotable books I've ever read. Newitz made me tear up over an unknown woman who died in the eighth millennium, and I learned so much that I didn't know about the four cities Newitz visits. And at the heart of this book is an essential hopefulness about the resilience of humanity, which is surprising and refreshing these days.

I couldn't stop thinking about how I licked the bones of a deer that had been cooked for a feast in Cahokia 900 years ago. I wished I had been there to see the party, but this might have been the next best thing.

#SundaySentence

Modern metropolises are by no means destined to live forever, and historical evidence shows that people have chosen to abandon them repeatedly over the past eight thousand years. It's terrifying to realize that most of humanity lives in places that are destined to die.

Annalee Newitz, Four Lost Cities

the second half of my January reading goal stack✨✨✨

#fourfoursin21 discovery (bc of the many archeological discoveries described) @Lauredhel

I really enjoyed this look at four "lost" (or not really lost) cities and what they can tell us about urban patterns of living over the years. I had a bit of trouble with the audiobook narrator at the start, but increasing the play speed slightly fixed that for me.

Just a fascinating book describing 4 abandoned cities that were pinnacles of their time, from neolithic Turkey to indigenous Cahokia on the Mississippi. So much knowledge being uncovered through archeological digs. A career I once dreamed of pursuing. Recommend!

This is a really interesting look at four former cities around the world, exploring what they likely were when thriving as well as hints regarding their demises. I like that she focuses on the fact that our lens impacts our interpretation of what we find, meaning it‘s not always accurate.

Just great. Newitz is an excellent science journalist: rigorous, accessible, never condescending. I read this slowly - a little before bed each night - & it was both engaging & relaxing.

I loved learning about all 4 cities, but my favorite was probably Cahokia because while I'd heard of this ancient North American metropolis & Mississippian culture, I never learned anything about it. It's crazy, but not surprising, given US history! (cont.)

Interesting look into these “lost cities“ - it covers the environmental, social and political reasons into why these cities dispersed.
It ends on a sober note about the climate change that may effect our current cities.
Am including this for #cambodia for #readingasia2021 if I don't read a full book about Cambodia by the end of the year.

An endlessly interesting book describing four lost cites from ancient civilizations. These were some of the largest cities of their time, the equivalent of today‘s NYC or Paris, yet they vanished hundreds or even thousands of years ago. Fascinating details about all of the cities are given. I was particularly amazed by the discovery of Angkor‘s true size in Cambodia through the use of light-using radar called (of course) lidar.

Fascinating. Author Annalee Newitz does a great job of describing what we know about the rise and fall of 4 ancient cities, then connects that info to our possible future. “The combination of climate change and political instability we face in many modern cities suggests that we‘re heading for a period of global urban abandonment.” #Audiobook read by Chloe Cannon. I‘ve read elsewhere about these cities & will create links in the comments.

Settled life caused a culture shock that's still reverberating across human civilizations today.

This book had me going down all kinds of internet rabbit holes. The Birger figurine (pictured) was found near the ancient city we call Cahokia in Illinois. The author says a contemporary traditional Hidatsa farmer, Amy Mossett, immediately recognized this as a representation of the Grandmother, the Old Woman Who Never Dies.

As a fan of Newitz's SFF I knew I had to read this nonfiction book the moment I saw their name on it. The book explores 4 historical cities lost to time, disaster, & change. But despite misconceptions, Newitz shows that none of them were ever really "lost." Interesting archeological explorations & history of Neolithic and ancient cities I knew little about, but also features prescient warnings about how climate change can lead to a city's demise.

Loved this audiobook. Annalee Newitz does a great job getting into the different and common reasons these four cities became “lost” and why they really weren‘t. The amount of racism and colonialism tied into this is fascinating and infuriating. Grateful to have read this, because it was eye-opening. #audiobook #AnnaleeNewitz #nonfiction

I treated myself to a COVID-safe book browse and splurge at the Eastside Powell‘s today. Excited about all these but especially the tagged book!

I have a TBR pile a mile high right now, but a few more won‘t hurt! 😁📚

Thanks again to @BillBlume who put this book on my #ReadersRadar! The author did a great job describing the 4 ancient cities she visited & then recreating them for the reader with her historical content and archeological discoveries. My favorite city was the section on Pompeii🌋and most surprising Cahokia, a pre-Columbian city that existed thousands of years ago in the US! Not in Mexico or Central South America. Also visited👇🏽

#AudioFrying This chicken dish is pretty much a staple throughout #Israel and probably most Jewish households #FoodAndLit ?It‘s called “Schnitzel” and it‘s as basic and delicious as can be ?I use the recipe from ToriAvey.com I‘m really enjoying this audiobook. So far I‘ve learnt about Çatalhöyük in Central Turkey, the Roman vacation town of Pompeii on Italy‘s southern coast and the medieval megacity of Angkor in #Cambodia. #ReadingAsia21

Thanks @BillBlume just downloaded from #Scribd
#ReadingAsia21 #Cambodia
#Angkor
You might “dig” (😉) this audio @Megabooks ?!!!

Listening to the audiobook for this nonfiction, and it‘s been really good. Annalee Newitz is a very versatile writer. #audiobook #nonfiction

Current audiobook. Interesting history!

Listening to Annalee Newitz talk about their new book with Amal El-Mohtar. Fascinating discussion, as expected, and it goes without saying I look forward to “digging” into Four Lost Cities.